September and October are great months for planting trees in North Texas. Take advantage of the fall rains and plant some new trees in your landscape. Be creative and plant something different and out of the ordinary! Here are some outstanding tre es you won’t find planted everywhere.

Fruitless Sweetgum - Liquidambar styraciflua 'Rotundiloba' Ht. 40' - 50' Fast growing with unusual rounded lobes on the leaves. Bright purple fall color and no little round prickly balls! Plant in deep soil.

Desert Willow - Chilopsis linnearis Ht. 15' - 25' This show stopping native blooms throughout summer. Great smaller tree with open habit. Drought tolerant once established. Humming birds love this tree.

Eve's Necklace - Sophora affinis Ht. 15' - 20' This beautiful native is just right for the smaller garden. The profusion of pinnate leaves provide a dappled shade. In the spring it produces delicate pink blooms that give way to black neckla ce like seed pods that cling throughout winter.

Ginkgo - Ginkgo biloba - Ht. 80' This is definitely a different tree! Gorgeous bi-lobed leaves in summer and golden fall color. Ginkgoes have a pyramidal shape when young round out with age (they live a long time). You won't find many of th ese in your neighborhood. You can eat the leaves ; it is said to increase memory.

Now that you’ve selected your tree it’s time to plant. Make sure the sight you have selected is free from overhead telephone and electrical lines. The area should be well drained (trees can drown too) with plenty of sun light. Dig a hole at least 18" larger than the diameter of the ball or container of the tree. The hole should be slanted - larger at the top than the bottom and no deeper than the depth of the ball or soil in the container. Carefully set the tree into the hole and back fill with the soil that came out of the excavation. Do not add amendments to the backfill because you want to encourage the tree roots to venture out into the surrounding native soil. Water tree until soil is saturated and tamp soil firmly; this elim inates air pockets. After you water be sure to drench with a root stimulator. Continue application of root stimulator once a month for 3 to 6 months. Cover the top of the soil with 1" of compost and follow with an inch of hardwood mulch. Keep a ring (18") of mulch around the tree for at least the next three years. You don’t want your new tree competing with the lawn or other plants for nutrients. It is not necessary to trim the tree when planting. However, you can remove any broken or unwanted l imbs. If the tree has a large canopy it is wise to stake it to keep the root ball stable until the tree roots have become established.

Plant: Leafy green vegetables such as Swiss Chard, Spinach, Lettuce and Beets. English Peas, Onions, Broccoli, Cabbage and Kale. Perennials. Now is a great time to plant trees. For winter color plant flowering Kale, Cabbage, Pansies and Violas. Wildflower seed should be planted in October.

Fertilize: Lawns, trees and shrubs at the beginning of September.

Select: and purchase spring blooming bulbs. Now is the time to get the best selection of Tulips, Hyacinths, Paperwhites and specialty bulbs. North Haven will store your bulb purchase of $100 or more in our cooler until planting time -mid to late Dec. when soil temps are 50 or less.

Pick: Pumpkins for Jack -o - lantern carving. Check our selection of mini pumpkins and gourds for fall decorating.ke a break and spend a day shopping at North Haven.

Even though the calendar says its September, it still feels very much like summer. Now gift shopping is more fun without the help of the children!

Take a few minutes to check out our terrific selection of old weathered architecturals: garden gates, trellis and garden furniture. These wonderful one of a kind items have been saved from the refuse pile to add a wondrous touch of quiet times gon e by to your garden.We have a great collection of Hummingbird feeders, cedar bird feeders and houses all made in Texas. Be sure to see the new K-feeder and Droll Yankee bird feeders, it’s now time to add suet to your birds' menu. If your are looking for a whimsical Victorian birdhouse we have Randy Martin's wonderful cathedral style houses.

If you have been looking for an unusual weather vain, we have several great designs in copper of both animals and birds. Our Sundials have become very popular and we have a variety of sizes and designs of armillary with Verde antique finishes.

A new collection of Windharp and Garden Harp wind chimes on their own stands have been added to our already popular Woodstock chimes. Be sure to see all the new items in our book nook area. We have the most diverse collection of containers and the ever-popular blue and white ceramic. We have many different designs of terra cotta containers. If you need a small special gift, we have a nice selection of herbal vinegar's and oils, also herbal jellies. We continue to have a great collection of ga rden fountains, statuary, pots or all sizes and designs for the garden and patio. Our Riverstone engraved stones remain very popular and special orders are always welcome.

If you just can't find that gift you are looking for --- A North Haven Gift certificate is the perfect answer. We will see you soon taking a break from your busy back to school schedule.

To be a successful gardener and get the most from your labor, plan ahead. At the present time we are maintaining what we planted earlier and looking forward to fall planting. For your fall vegetable garden try:

• Commonsense Vegetable Gardening for the South by Adams and LeRoy. This covers all aspects of vegetable gardening including planning, growing transplants, container gardening and pests and disease control.
• Herb Gardening in Texas by Sol Meltzer . Meltzer shows you how to grow herbs dry and store them, gather seeds and control pests. The herbs themselves are used in aromatherapy potpourri, body lotions and cooking. The man, who knows how, tel ls how!
• The Gardeners Guide to Growing Hostas by Diana Grenfell. Do you grow the Queen of the shade plants, Hostas? If you do, you will have to have this book. It is a practical guide for growing Hostas with an A-Z plant directory listing over 400 cultivars and forms. This book is also a wealth of essential advice on cultivation.
• Gardening with Perennials Month by Month by Joseph Hudak . Its always the right time to think about perennials and this book lets you jump right in. The lavishly illustrated color photos (over 400) help understand the list of plants. Divid ed by blossom color. The book is a comprehensive and delightful reference work, which you will use repeatedly over the years.

We have a new Texas Wildflower Mix! Naturalist Bill Neiman grows this native mix in Junction Texas. Known for his prairie reconstruction Bill has dedicated himself to the preservation of Texas natives. The seed packet contains a mix of Wildflowers that will bloom from spring to fall. In the spring expect to see Bluebonnets, Cutleaf Daisy, and Plains Coreopsis. Summer blooming

American Basketflower, Mexican Hat, White and Purple Prairie Clover, will look great with Lemon Mint and Standing Cypress. When late summer and fall arrives Black-eyed Susans, Mexican Hats, Clasping Coneflowers and Partridge Peas will brighten you r prairie meadow. To plant your seed: make sure the area is free of invasive grasses like Bermuda, St Augustine etc. Lightly rough up soil with a garden fork or hoe. Sow seed at the rate of 1 oz. per 100 ft. Plant just before a fall rain and in 2 to 4 weeks you’ll see sprouts emerge. These will over winter in rosette form and be ready for blooming next spring and summer.

One challenge that beginning water gardeners have is keeping their pond water clear. Algae and debris cause green cloudy water. To combat green water (algae buildup) it is important to understand the culprit. Algae are microscopic plants that love sunlight, mineral salts and carbon dioxide. The key to water clarity is denying algae these three things. To control sunlight the best solutions are plants. Ideally, plants should occupy between 60% or 70% of the water surface area. Plants that cove r the surface include Lilies, both hardy and tropical, and floaters such like Azola. Shading your pond with trees buildings and arbors can also provide additional reduction in the formation of algae in the water.The reduction of mineral salts and car bon dioxide in the water is easily achieved when oxygenators are added. Oxygen generating plants such as Cabona and Anacharis are probably the most important element of algae control. They thrive on mineral salts thus starving the algae. Oxygenators are usually sold in bunches and should be placed below the surface at 1 bunch per 2 sq. ft. Their intake carbon dioxide leaves little for the algae.